“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing,” she said, voice cracking on a sob.
That was all it took. I dropped the hat and rushed her, arms wrapping tight around her trembling body.
“Shh, Sweetness. Don’t cry. I’m sorry. You’re probably tired. If you wanna go to bed, that’s fine. I’ll tuck you in. We can eat the snacks tomorrow.”
“No.” She sniffled. “I’m not tired. Well—yeah, I am—but that’s not why I’m crying.”
I pulled back just enough to look into her eyes. “Then whyareyou crying?”
“This is just—”Sob.“So—”Sniffle.“Sweet.”Wail.
She slapped her hands over her face, and I couldn’t help it—I laughed.
“Don’t laugh at me!”
“I’m sorry,” I said, still grinning like an idiot. “You’re just so fucking cute.”
I reeled her back in, her face still buried in her hands, smooshed against my chest. I ran a hand up and down her spine, slow and steady, until her breathing evened out and the tears stopped.
“You okay?”
She looked up at me and nodded. “Thank you. No one’s ever done something so sweet for me.”
I smoothed a hand over her hair and down her dark ponytail, giving it a gentle tug. “Anything for you. Wanna put on your hat?”
Elena grinned up at me, and my heart stuttered. She was so fucking pretty. She put on a good show, sure—but this woman,mywoman, was tender-hearted to her core. She’d spent so long holding herself together, staying safe.
Now she was letting me in.
And I’d never stop being grateful. For her. For us.
“You hungry?” I asked, running my hands up and down her coat-clad arms.
“Starving. But I feel gross. Can I shower first?”
“Oh, fuck, of course.” I helped her out of her coat and tossed it over the back of a chair then knelt to peel off the ugly-as-sin clogs she wore to the hospital.
“Thanks. I’ll be quick.”
Elena hustled down the hall, and I flopped onto the couch,rubbing my hands against my thighs. Fuck, I was nervous again.
My knee bounced incessantly, which reminded me—my socks were soaked. I leaned down and peeled them off, chucking them toward the front door. Then I sighed and shook my head.Not the place for wet socks, genius.I stood, picked them up, and padded barefoot into the laundry room to toss them in the washing machine.
By the time I made it back, Elena was walking down the hall toward the living room. Her dark hair was wet, her head tilted as she toweled it off. Long, tanned legs stretched out beneath tiny pink sleep shorts, and a white tank top clung to her round belly. Her dark nipples were visible through the thin fabric, and I had to adjust my now-very-hard cock.
She was fucking breathtaking.
“So much better,” she said as she approached.
I cleared my throat. “Mhm. Yeah. I bet.”
“You okay there, sir?”
I groaned. “Elena,please. Do not call mesir.”
“Like that, do ya?” She waggled her eyebrows. That playful sparkle in her eye? It wrecked me. She’d been gifting that to me more and more, and it reminded me of the early summer—when we couldn’t keep our hands off each other. Laughing. Cuddling. Fucking.
